A Life Once Saved
by The Dark Knight's Revenge
Summary: Hermione reminisces as Bellatrix's knife soars towards her heart, but her thoughts are cut short by an unexpected savior. Will Draco Malfoy have a chance to redeem himself to the team when he puts their lives ahead of his?
1. Chapter 1

The knife moved slowly though the air. Hermione stood frozen, watching its progress across the drawing room of the Malfoy manor. It would hit her soon enough, when these precious nanoseconds slipped away. Her lifeless eyes would stare up at the ceiling as her breath flew away.

She could see Harry and Ron's pale faces out of the corner of her eyes; Bellatrix's leering grin ahead of her, The Malfoys huddling in the back of the room. Soon it would all be gone and she wouldn't feel the stinging of the word cut into her arm anymore.

All her life had been spent in religious study; and now she would be snuffed out just like that. Absently, Hermione wondered if she would be remembered by any of her schoolmates. If her name would end up in any books.

Harry would publish a novel. She would be in some of it. He would write it in thirty or so years, curled up by the fire, his hair speckled with gray. Sitting with Ginny and his grandchildren on stormy nights.

Her breath hitched, thinking about children. She had wanted them someday... Secretly she wished they would all have red hair and freckles, and tote their ginger cats onto the Hogwarts express at age eleven.

She hadn't gotten a chance to tell Ron how she felt yet. How much she really cared about him. Hermione pictured him sobbing over her lifeless body in the next few minutes, and tears began to sting her eyes.

The knife was so close now, she could still move...

No. It was her time. Just like it had been Dumbledore's, and Moody's. Just like Sirius and Cedric... And Hedwig. She was ready.

Just before the knife pierced her chest, a black form stepped in between them, shoving her into the wood floor. Hermione screamed as time sucked back into its regular passing, and more screams echoed hers.

Blurred tears streamed down Hermione's cheeks as she saw the dark body fall to the floor, becoming stained with crimson. It was Harry... No, too big. Ron? No, too skinny. Hermione pushed herself up, rolling the form over.

The ghostly white face of Draco Malfoy looked back at her, his cheek smeared with blood. Narcissa Malfoy was screaming at the top of her lungs, and Hermione realized she was too.

Draco grasped weakly at her arm, trying to say something. The knife embedded in his chest made it impossible for him to speak.

A loud crack echoed around the room, and someone grabbed her arms. Hermione fought back, grabbing on to Malfoy's hand. She felt the familiar jerk behind her navel as she was pulled along in apparition. Her eyes stayed fixed on Malfoy's silver ones as the world around her blurred.

When the impact came, Hermione felt herself thrown violently to wet ground. She choked as the wind was knocked out of her. Her hands grabbed desperately at something... anything. She found wet sand and a frigid wave broke over her, causing her to choke more. Finally, her hands hit cloth. Her vision and breath came back to see the scarlet water around her.

Hermione scrambled to Malfoy and searched around for her pouch, unable to find it. Her eyes were blurred again by tears and hysteria. Suddenly, dry cloth was shoved into her hands and she ripped open the bag. Her wand was also given to her.

"Accio Dittany" She half-screamed. The bottle soared into her hand and she wiped her face, teeth chattering in the cold.

She could just barely see Malfoy's shaking form in front of her. He was convulsing in pain and cold as another wave broke over them. Somehow, she managed to grasp the knife handle and pull it out, causing Malfoy to scream.

"I-I'm sorry" She managed to gasp out. Hermione dumped the whole vial of dittany in the wound, and Malfoy convulsed violently as the dittany did its job.

Then he laid absolutely still.

"No!" Hermione cried, her brain reverting to survival mode. She did the one thing she could think of: CPR.

She pounded Malfoy's chest, then grasped his head and breathed into his mouth, smearing his face with blood. She repeated this over and over again. Refusing to give up.

Then, someone was grasping her hands, pulling her back.

"NO!" She shrieked as Malfoy's head lolled to the side. Whoever had a hold on her picked her up, despite the vicious fight she was putting up.

Finally, a blow hit her across the jaw and Hermione was completely still.


	2. Chapter 2

Hermione came to, aware of the aching pain in her jaw and forearm. Her head pounded violently, and she moaned.

"Merlin Harry, she's awake!" Ron's voice came from somewhere in the room. Hermione kept her eyes closed against the bright light in the room.

"Harry!" Came Ron's shout again, and Hermione winced.

"Sorry, Mione." Ron said gently, his cold hand wrapping around hers. Hermione opened her eyes to see the redhead sitting beside her bed. She must be in shell cottage, where Bill and Fleur lived.

"My head..." Hermione moaned. Ron grimaced apologetically.

"I had to hit you pretty hard, Mione. You were doing a good job of beating Harry because he moved you."

Harry came in at that moment, walking stiffly. Hermione gasped when she saw his face, which sported two black eyes, a cut lip and what looked like a broken nose.

"Hey, Hermione." Harry said, the frown that seemed permanently etched into his face disappearing. He sat down on the end of her bed, placing a hand on her blanketed foot. Ron squeezed her hand.

"Did we all... make it?" Hermione asked quietly after a moment of listening to the surf break outside.

Ron started to say something, but Harry silenced him with a look.

"Yes, Mione. We're all here. Draco's patched up-"

"Draco?" Hermione asked sharply. Harry and Ron exchanged looks again.

"Hermione, how much do you remember after the mansion?" Harry continued.

"Nothing." Hermione replied, resisting the urge to groan as the pain in her head got worse. Harry and Ron looked at each other once more.

"Stop it! I can see you looking at each other!" Hermione spat out angrily, feeling tears prick her eyes.

"Hermione-" Harry started, but was interrupted by a floorboard creaking in the doorway. The golden trio looked up to see Draco Malfoy poised on the landing, looking uncertainly at them.

"Malfoy?" Hermione asked incredulously. "Harry, he's-"

"-Helping us!" Harry cut in sharply.

Hermione flinched as if she'd been slapped. Harry had never used that tone on her before.

"I'm sorry, Hermione..." Harry said, softer this time. She shrugged, aware that the three men watching her. After a moment of awkward silence, she made to get out of bed.

"'Mione, you should lay down for a little while longer..." Ron tried to stop her.

"Ronald, you best get out of my way. I have to use the loo, and so help you Merlin if you try to stop me." The boys let her pass, and as she exited the room, Hermione thought she saw Ron flash Harry another guilty look.

* * *

Hermione's need to use the loo was just an excuse to leave the room and spend some time with her muddled thoughts. She couldn't figure anything out, and Harry and Ron's distrust of her was making things harder.

What the hell had happened?

She remembered being on the beach... And something was happening. She was upset for some reason.

Hermione shook it off and splashed some water on her face. She would remember later.

When Hermione went downstairs to the dining room, she saw Harry, Ron and Malfoy in deep discussion over something. not wanting to disturb their precious plots, Hermione went back upstairs to her room, proceeding to look out the window at the tumbling surf outside.

After a while, Hermione became aware of a burning sensation in her left arm.

She turned from the window and rolled up her left sleeve, and as she saw the word cut into her arm, memories flooded back. Bellatrix torturing her, cutting the horrible letters into her arm, the knife being thrown at her, Draco Malfoy jumping in front of it, the beach, desperately trying to save him.

Hermione screamed, falling back into the bureau with a crash.

Harry and Ron were up the stairs in seconds; Malfoy and Fleur on their heels. All had their wands drawn. When they saw that it was only Hermione gasping in the corner and holding her arm, they lowered their wands, Ron coming forwards to cradle Hermione in his arms and move her to the bed.

"Shh, Mione. It's okay." Ron murmured, trying to calm

Fleur gave them all a sympathetic look before going back downstairs, Harry came to stand by Ron and Hermione, and Malfoy hovered awkwardly in the doorway.

"I-I remember it all now..." Hermione said shakily, once Ron managed to calm her down.

"You don't have to talk about it, 'Mione." Ron said. "Not if you don't want to."

"Bellatrix had that knife. A-And she threw it, and I thought it would hit me but someone jumped in front of me..."

Malfoy shifted uncomfortably. Hermione's gaze fell on him. Their eyes held for a moment, then it dawned on Hermione.

"MALFOY!" She yelled in sheer fury. Harry and Ron could barely restrain her as she sprung at him, arms reaching for his throat.

"I'm sorry, Hermione! I'm sorry that I saved your life. Just like you to be ungrateful... I could have died, you know? Bet you would have loved that. Why'd you ever bother trying to resuscitate me if you didn't want me around?" Draco spat as he stepped safely out of range.

"I did WHAT?!" Hermione screeched.

"Hermione..." Harry started. "We had to knock you out on the beach because you wouldn't let Malfoy go."

"Yeah, Mate. You were hysterical." Ron said.

Hermione's jaw dropped open, then she got up off the bed and stormed out of the room, her feet thudding on the stairs before passing out the front door.

"Where's she gone?" Ron asked as the boys followed her downstairs.

"Out to cool off, I expect." Harry said with a sigh. "Let's help Fleur with dinner. Hermione will come 'round soon enough"

Neither Harry or Ron noticed Malfoy slip out the front door after Hermione.


End file.
